Dead Beat | [spoiler] Dresden Review

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[@merphynapierreviews]

I called Elaine Harry's late wife in this review. For the life of me, I don't know why I was remembering that they were married, but I'm a fool and that's not right.

[@aeletzio7378]

please keep these spoiler talks coming for all the dresden book. I love that you take your time to discuss 1 book so extensively

[@matthewschwoebel8247]

Butcher does an excellent job taking Dresden from a low-level character in a simpler, black-and-white world to a high-level character in a complex, shades-of-gray world.

[@litlbucky]

I read Dresden in 2023 & am up to date, loving the series!!! Can not believe it has taken me so long to pick up the series

[@jtdarelli2362]

One of my favorite parts of this book is the reveal of how powerful Harry has become, and how nervous that makes his friends sometimes. The book is told in first person, so we only real see Harry as he sees himself - a bumbling, middle aged man just trying to get his bills paid and maybe do some good along the way. But everyone else? They see a 6 and a half foot tall demi-god duking it out with vampires, werewolves, faeries, and literal demons whilst chucking around fire and lightning like they're his personal toys. It doesn't happen often, but seeing that crazy contrast is one of the more memorable parts of the books.

[@TheAthens619]

All in favor of Merphy and Daniel having a DF quiz like they the One Piece quiz when she catches up?

[@7Seraphem7]

Yeah, it really is hard to top riding a zombie T-Rex through Chicago in a storm, on Halloween, to battle a trio of necromancers and their armies of ghosts and zombie to stop them from creating a Dark God. But Butcher keeps doing more and more insanely awesome things. Yeah, this is pretty much where the series has fully found it's footing, and from here till Changes it is a non-stop race of epicness.

[@tacorrific]

Fallen angel catfishing is not usually on anyone's checklist.

[@Danne1886]

Even if you find Shiela suspicious, this book is all about an unknown number of necromancers being in town. A perfect red herring. I immediately thought Harry's first instinct with her was correct, when he pulled a gun and his shield out. But I also assumed she was a kemmlerite or working with one. Then she turned out to be something way less predictable, and way scarrier. It's one of the best twists ever.

[@westmanpl]

To be fair, Harry does not run into the fire that often. He usually just runs into a place and then it gets set on fire.

[@toddJM1015]

The running scene is brilliant because it has nothing to do with plot but EVERYTHING to do with story. In a novel where Harry rides an undead T-Rex into a maelstrom necromances, having moments like this, and even how Harry builds up Butters when Thomas wants to dump him are brilliant.

[@DirePantsDim]

"...No. And do you know why?" He shook his head. "Because Thomas is too pretty to die. And because I'm too stubborn to die." I hauled on the shirt even harder. "And most of all because tomorrow is Oktoberfest, Butters, and polka will never die.”

[@ghjong001]

I think this is the first novel where Harry loses literally every confrontation he's in right up until the end. Every fight ends with Harry not just losing, but being so completely outclassed that he either has to run away, get rescued by his allies, or both. We've seen Harry in over his head before, but Dead Beat really sells us on the peril being way past the usual level. Corpsetaker getting inside of Harry's head outside the bookstore was an especially creepy section because of how it's described in first-person, with Ms. Gard flat out telling him later that he was "meant" to die in that alley. When he's being tortured by Cassius, we know from Harry's own narrative that he's literally given up and thinks he's about to die. Harry being unable to use fire even while surrounded by zombies and he really needs it... and then he steps outside and realizes there were too many of them, and he couldn't have won regardless.

[@tehluhlah]

POLKA WILL NEVER DIE is one of the finest moments in the series. And Marsters's take on that scene in the audiobook had me chocking on my beverage even though I knew it was coming :D

[@arenkai]

Lasciel is unironically my second favourite character after Michael.

[@falk7718]

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[@tacorrific]

The t-rex race around Chicago always brings a grin to my face while reading it. So much fun.

[@spinnerling]

Probably my favorite Dresden book. Doing a re-listen to the audiobooks and they're just so therapeutic at times.

[@splifftachyon4420]

The Lashiel twist just blew me away. I love it when I don't see a twist coming and I sure didn't see this one. The reveal was so well done too. I'm all up to date on the Dresden files now, but that scene is still one of the most memorable of the series for me.

[@GrantReedIII]

I know you would not get to it yet, and actually it may be hard to find. There is a novelette, set between Small Favor (Dresden Files #10) and Turn Coat (Dresden Files #11) that is written from the perspective of Thomas. It is interesting for a few reasons, but among them, we get to see how Thomas views Dresden. If you really want that perspective I strongly Recommend it.